Marine propulsion drive

ABSTRACT

A simple steering gear wherein a cylindrical member, into which a propeller shaft is slidably inserted, is connected to a rod in such a manner that the movement of the rod is transmitted to the member to move it. The member is provided with long holes having teeth, each of which being engaged with a blade at the teeth so as to rotate the blade in accordance with the movement of the member.

United States Patent Inventor Kiyoshi Shirna 56] References Cited N0.[917, TSlljidO, Kanagawa-ken, UNITED STATES PATENTS A 1,730,075 10/1930Griffith 115/41 x 818590 1 917 610 7/1933 Smith 416/166 Filed Apr. 23,1969 Patented Jam 5 1971 2,308,749 1/1943 Gee 416/166(X) Priority Apr.1968 2,495,453 l/195O Herreshoff. ll5/34(X) Japan 2,545,502 3/1951Troester 115/35 No 43/283 3,266,454 8/1966 Sterling et al.. 115/353,310,118 3/1967 Smith 416/166 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler AssistantExaminerC. A. Rutledge Attorney-Watson, Leavenworth & Kelton MARINEPROPQLSKPN DRIVE ABSTRACT: A simple steering gear wherein a cylindrical3 Drawmg member, into which a propeller shaft is slidably inserted, isU.S. Cl 115/35, connected to a rod in such a manner that the movement ofthe 416/ 166: 1 15/41 rod is transmitted to the member to move it. Themember is Int. Cl B63h 3/02 provided with long holes having teeth, eachof which being en- Field of Search 115/35, 34, gaged with a blade at theteeth so as to rotate the blade in ac- 1 I mil" E cordance with themovement of the member.

' PATENTED JAN 5 I9?! SHEET 2 BF 2 MARINE PROPULSION DRIVE Thisinvention relates to a simple steering gear which can be mounted at thestern side of a ship.

It has already been proposed the simple steering gears wherein each ofblades of propeller is adjustably fitted to a rotating shaft so as toadjust the angle ranges of each blade to the axis of the shaft by meansof hydraulic mechanism. Such a type of simple steering gears has anadvantage that the resistance of the blades can be controlled with thenavigating condition which is changed due to, for example, changes ofthe height of waves. However, the controlling means which has been usedto adjust the angle ranges of the blades of the propeller is not to besufficient in that it has to be complicated in the construction thereofand requires troublesome operatrons.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a simplesteering gear with a simple construction, which is capable of adjustingthe angle of each blade to the axis of a propeller shaft to control theresistance to water of the blade.

According to the present invention there is provided a simple steeringgear comprising a rudder member having a chamber formed therein, acylindrical shaft extending at one end into said chamber, said shaftbeing connected to the driving means, a propeller shaft rotatablymounted in said rudder member and extending into said chamber, a gearassembly arranged in said chamber and engaging said cylindrical shaftand propeller shaft, a tubular member having long holes penetratingthrough the peripheral all thereof, the inner wall of each hole havingteeth arranged in parallel to the axis of said propeller shaft, saidpropeller shaft being slidably inserted through said tubular member, aplurality of blades rotatably supported to the propeller shaft andhaving teeth engaged with said teeth of each long hole, a rodpenetrating through said cylindrical shaft and extending into saidchamber, and an arm connected between said rod and tubular member,whereby the movement of said rod controls movement of said tubularmember.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section ofa simple steering gear embodying thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a section showing a propeller shaft and an adjusting memberused in the steering gear of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a section showing a rotating mechanism for blades utilized inthe steering gear.

Referring to the drawings attached hereto, reference numeral I generallyrepresents a controlling shaft pivotally supported on a base member Amounted at the stern side of a ship in an arrangement that it can berotated in both directions through a suitable rotating mechanism (notshown). At one end portion of the shaft 1 is provided a worm gear 2engaged with a worm wheel 3 having threads formed on the innerperipheral surface thereof. A threaded rod 4 is inserted verticallythrough the central portion of the worm wheel 3, the

' threads of the rod being engaged with the threads formed on the innersurface of the worm wheel 3 so as to lifting or lowering the shaft inaccordance with the rotation of the worm wheel. On the outer surface ofthe rod 4 is arranged coaxially a steering shaft 5 which has a wormwheel 6 and a column 7. The worm wheel 6 is positioned slightly lowerthan the described worm wheel 3 and engaged with a worm gear 8 having asteering rod 9.

At the lower end of the steering shaft 5 is fitted a rudder member 10having a chamber 11 filled with oil. A cylindrical rotating shaft 12 isrotatably inserted into the rudder member, one end of which extends intothe hollow portion of the column 7 and the other end into the chamber11. The upper end of the shaft 12 has a bevel gear 130 engaged with abevel gear 14 which is connected to ashaft, the shaft being connected toa driving mechanism (not shown), while the shaft 12 is provided with abevel gear 13b at the lower end thereof. The bevel gear 13b is engagedwith a bevel gear 16 fitted to a propeller shaft 17, so that the drivingforce of the shaft is transmitted to the propeller shaft to rotate itthrough the shaft 12.

The propeller shaft 17 has a plurality of ribs 18 parallel to each otherand extending along the axis of the shaft. The shaft is slidablyinserted into a tubular member 19 which has an inner surfacecorresponding to, and slightly larger than the cross-sectionalconfiguration of the shaft. The member 19 is connected to the lower endportion of the rod 4 through an arm 20 in such a manner that the liftingor lowering movement of the rod 4 actuates the member to move along theaxis thereof.

The end portion of the tubular member 19 extends to the outside of therudder member 10 together with the propeller shaft 17, the shaft beingslightly longer than the member 19. To the protruded end of the shaft isfitted a cap member 21 having a configuration like to a shell. Aplurality of blades 22 (three in this case), are radially arrangedaround the cap member 21, each of which is rotatably connected to theshaft 17 through a connecting member 23 penetrating through the capmember and tubular member 19.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the connecting members has aplurality of teeth 24. The teeth are engaged with teeth 25 formed on theinner surface of long holes which penetrate through the peripheral wallof the above mentioned tubular member 19 and extend along the axis ofthe tubular member. Thus, the movement of the tubular member along theaxis thereof actuates the each connecting member 23 to rotate it, andthe blade carried by the connecting member is rotated around the axisthereof to adjust its angle to the axis of the propeller shaft 17.Further, the upper portion of the rudder member extends to the portionabove the blades 22 to form a stabilizer 26.

In operation, when the shaft 15 is rotated by the driving means (notshown) connected thereto, the rotation of the shaft is transmittedfinally to the propeller shaft 17 and blades 22 to rotate them throughthe bevel gears 14, 13a, shaft 12, and bevel gears 13b, 16. At thistime, the rotational movement is not transmitted to the threaded rod 4because it is slidably inserted in the shaft 12 and bevel gears attachedthereto. In this condition, the ship provided with the simple steeringgear is controlled in speed by varying the output of the driving means,and steered by varying the angle of the rudder member through the shaft5 having column, worm wheel 6, worm gear 8 and rod 9.

When the variations in navigating conditions are occured, the undesiredeffect can be compensated by controlling the angles of the blades, suchcontrol being carried out by rotating the shaft 1. Thus, the rotation ofthe shaft I actuates the worm wheel 3 to rotate it through the worm gear2, so that the threaded rod 4 is lifted or lowered along the axisthereof. By the movement of the rod 4 is transmitted to the tubularmember 19 to move it along the axis thereof, so that each blade 22 isrotated so as to adjust the pitch thereof, that is their angles to theaxis of the shaft 19. Therefore, the resistance of the blades is variedin accordance with the changes of the navigating conditions, then thespeed of the ship will be controlled even though the output of thedriving means is maintained constant.

I claim:

1. A marine propulsion drivecomprising in combination with a ruddermember having a chamber formed therein, a cylindrical shaft extending atone end into said chamber, said shaft being connected to the drivingmeans, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in said rudder member andextending into said chamber, a gear assembly arranged in said chamberand engaging said cylindrical shaft and propeller shaft, a tubularmember having long holes penetrating through the peripheral wallthereof, the inner wall of each hole having teeth arranged in parallelto the axis of said propeller shaft, said propeller shaft being slidablyinserted through said tubular member, a plurality of blades rotatablysupported to thepropeller shaft and having teeth engaged with said teethof each long hole, a rod penetrating through said cylindrical shaft andextending into said chamber, and an arm connected between said rod andtubular member, movement of said rod causing sliding of said tubularmember whereby said blades rotate changing the pitch thereof.

2". A marinespropulsion drive according tov claim l whsrein said?rod'hasthreads formed onthekperipheral surfaceithereofi;

saidithr'eads .beingengagedwith theinner surface of a .worm

wheel which is connected to an adjusting shaft througha worm gearto movesaid rod alongthe. axis thereof.

shaft; said; Blads penetra member.

ting; through: the wal of "said cap

1. A marine propulsion drive comprising in combination with a ruddermember having a chamber formed therein, a cylindrical shaft extending atone end into said chamber, said shaft being connected to the drivingmeans, a propeller shaft rotatably mounted in said rudder member andextending into said chamber, a gear assembly arranged in said chamberand engaging said cylindrical shaft and propeller shaft, a tubularmember having long holes penetrating through the peripheral wallthereof, the inner wall of each hole having teeth arranged in parallelto the axis of said propeller shaft, said propeller shaft being slidablyinserted through said tubular member, a plurality of blades rotatablysupported to the propeller shaft and having teeth engaged with saidteeth of each long hole, a rod penetrating through said cylindricalshaft and extending into said chamber, and an arm connected between saidrod and tubular member, movement of said rod causing sliding of saidtubular member whereby said blades rotate changing the pitch thereof. 2.A marine propulsion drive according to claim 1 wherein said rod hasthreads formed on the peripheral surface thereof, said threads beingengaged with the inner surface of a worm wheel which is connected to anadjusting shaft through a worm gear to move said rod along the axisthereof.
 3. A marine propulsion drive according to claim 1 wherein a capmember is mounted at the protruded end of said propeller shaft, saidblades penetrating through the wall of said cap member.